Bulldogs finish on top of the Mountain

It was joy and vindication for the Fresno State football team after Saturday night's inaugural Mountain West championship game.

Joy because the West Division champion Bulldogs (11-1) were treated to the celebration of having fans rush the field after a victory, this one a hard-fought 24-17 win over Mountain Division champion Utah State (8-5).

Vindication for bouncing back from a regular season-ending 62-52 loss at San Jose State that ended its BCS bowl hopes, especially on the defensive end.

It was Fresno State's first outright league championship since winning the Big West in 1989. The Bulldogs were Mountain West tri-champs with Boise State and San Diego State in 2012.

"As a competitor, that wasn't enough," senior quarterback Derek Carr, who passed for 404 yards and three touchdowns, told the Fresno Bee. "We wanted to come back and finish things right. That's why I love winning, not because to get our name out there like that. I like to see the joy on my teammates' and coaches' faces. I love to see the joy in a city's face."

It was also a big night for the Bulldog defense, which rebounded in a big way from 736-yard shellacking at the hands of David Fales and the Spartans. Fresno State had eight sacks and three key fourth down stops while holding the Aggies to just 304 total yards.

"Our defense was much maligned last week, but they showed resiliency," Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter said. "We went up against the conference's best defense, but we had the best defense in the Mountain West tonight."

"Our defense stepped up in the clutch again and we got to redeem ourselves," defensive tackle Tyeler Davison told the Fresno Bee.

The Bulldogs, who won 11 games in a season for the first time since 2001, will face USC (9-4) in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 21 while Utah State will take on Northern Illinois (12-1) in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 26.

AIR FORCE (2-10)

Game: Idle.

Next: Season completed.

BOISE STATE (8-4)

Game: Idle.

Next: vs. Oregon State, Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24.

COLORADO STATE (7-6)

Game: Idle.

Next: vs. Washington State, New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 21.

FRESNO STATE (11-1)

Game: Fresno State 24, Utah State 17. Derek Carr passed for 404 yards and three touchdowns, including a 3-yarder to Davante Adams late in the third quarter that proved to be the game-winner. Sophomore safety Dalen Jones clinched the win with an interception with 58 seconds left.

Takeaway: The Bulldogs bounced back from a disastrous 62-52 loss to San Jose State a week earlier that cost them a shot at a BCS bowl game to win the inaugural Mountain West championship game. Fresno State, which didn't have a sack in the loss to the Spartans, had eight against the Aggies.

Next: vs. USC, Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 21.

HAWAII (1-11)

Game: Idle.

Next: Season completed.

NEVADA (4-8)

Game: Idle.

Next: Season completed.

NEW MEXICO (3-9)

Game: Idle.

Next: Season completed.

SAN DIEGO STATE (7-5)

Game: Idle.

Next: vs. Buffalo, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec. 21

SAN JOSE STATE (6-6)

Game: Idle.

Next: Season completed.

UNLV (7-5)

Game: Idle.

Next: vs. North Texas, Heart of Dallas Bowl, Jan. 1.

UTAH STATE (8-5)

Game: Fresno State 24, Utah State 17. Wide receiver Bruce Natson caught four passes for 50 yards and also rushed 10 yards for a touchdown. Senior linebacker Jake Doughty had an 86-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Takeaway: The fact the Aggies won the Mountain Division over mighty Boise State was quite an accomplishment considering their best player, quarterback Chuckie Keeton, was lost for the season with a knee injury in an Oct. 4 loss at BYU. Freshman Darell Garretson was impressive as his replacement which bodes well for the future for the Aggies.

Next: vs. Northern Illinois, Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 26.

WYOMING (5-7)

Game: Idle.

Next: Season completed.

-----------------------------------------------

NCAAF Team Report - Boise State - NOTES, QUOTES

--Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr needs two touchdown passes in the Las Vegas Bowl against USC to become the fifth quarterback in FBS history to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season. He also can surpass the 5,000-yard mark in passing this season if he can throw for 125 yards against the Trojans.

? --Wyoming wasted little time in hiring a new head coach, naming Craig Bohl on Sunday to replace Dave Christensen. Bohl, who will get a five-year contract starting at a guaranteed $750,000 per year plus incentives, has led North Dakota State to two straight FCS championships. The Bison are 12-0 and ranked No. 1 in the FCS this year and opened the season with a 24-21 victory at Kansas State. Former Cal coach Jeff Tedford also expressed interest in the job.